in BG2 the most fun NPCs also joined somewhere mid-game... (especially Edwina...)
? Outside Imoen every companion is recruitable from the very beginning. Some are of the beaten path (not in ankathla) but they still can be quickly reached.
I don’t think spreading companions around is bad, but I do think it undermines companions you meet later. In my personal experience, companion who join after substantial playtime are unlikely to make it into my A squad. Of course, unless, all starting companions are unlike grumps.
